"Remember me on this computer"

How many times do I sign into things on the internet and click the little "remember me on this computer" box, or "save user name and password"? And then how many times do I still have to input that information the next time I try to access that site? What am I missing?

Pretty average weekend. I'm still reading the same book (getting closer to the end--maybe tonight) and started a puzzle. It's an I Spy puzzle of marbles. It's hard to tell looking at it if it would be really hard because it's a bunch of marbles or if it would be easier because there are so many colors and variations. I still don't know! The pieces are weird shaped too. But I do love a good puzzle!!

No major plans for the week. I'll be going on the field trip to the Pacific Science Center with Emma's class on Thursday. Hopefully it will be fun.

Oh, Emma and Gracie's baton routine? They are going to do it again on February 22 at our church's annual Variety Show. The girls are pretty excited. We finally made it to church yesterday. We've been making it to Sunday School, but not to church. As I sat there yesterday I started wondering about churches in Ephrata. If we move, where would we go to church? Guess we'll do some church shopping again..... Or maybe we won't move and we'll stick with Westminster. And try to get there more often. Even 9am would be better than 8:30........

My dog has owies. She's licking the heck out of her hind foot and her side. Blech. Last night I gave her a bath. I even found the special shampoo we'd used before and the prescription ointment to put on it twice a day. I just put some on her and she just laid there. She's not quite herself right now. Poor thing.

Can you tell I'm putting off doing laundry? I keep telling myself that I should just get it all done. It's always so nice when all the laundry baskets are empty. Such a good feeling! I don't remember the last time I had that laundry related feeling. I recently went through the girls' clothes---put away too small stuff and tried to get out stuff that fits. A lot of Emma's too small shirts went straight to Audrey's drawer. Hardly found anything for Emma. She needs more jeans, it's just so hard to find some that fit! Huh, guess that feeling never really ends (she types as she's attempting to breathe while wearing jeans that are too small).

OK, that's it. Laundry. Really. I'm going to do it.

I like the word "indolence." It makes my laziness seem classy. ~Bern Williams

Twirling

Emma and her friend Gracie were in the school Talent Show today. They did a little baton routine. I can't technically say that they "twirled baton" because they did more of a march-in-place/strut but they still did a darn fine baton routine.

Where are the pictures you ask???? Well, since the staff in charge of the show did not notify the students beforehand when they would be on stage we were not ready. Ergo I did not get my videocamera/digital camera ready. Just by chance when Emma and Gracie were called up they had their batons. Because Kristi got them out of Gracie's classroom!!! I'd never experienced this before so I just assumed (and yes, I know that makes me an ass---thanks) the kids who would be performing would be told to start getting ready. But no, it starts with "So-and-so will now do such-and-such". Uh......do you want to let everyone else know that they should eat quickly (this was during lunch) and get themselves ready. Oh, I guess not. Until Joy bitches about it that is.....

OK, I really need to stop now. Hmmm...just started reading a book today. "Mumbo Gumbo" I'm not too far into it though so maybe it would make sense to read "A Dirty Job" instead. Too bad the library didn't have "You Suck" in yet. Somehow that sound appropriate tonight. In short---I think it would be best to shut down the computer and read in bed. Any bets on my mood when I wake up in the morning? I thought not.

I know well what I am fleeing from but not what I am in search of. ~Michel de Montaigne

(the quote above would be more appropriate if I truly knew from what I am fleeing)

Don't even bother reading this one.

Aaaaarrrrrggghhhhh!

Tonight I laid on the kitchen floor. Crying. I had rented movies. Movies I wanted to see, and had planned on watching one tonight. But instead I was on the floor crying. How does a professional find a job? I went to www.monster.com ('cause it gets all the commercials) but there are so many headhunters on that site that you don't know what you are getting into. I'm just trying to find something new. I don't even care where we live, we just need to start fresh. I love this house. I love these neighbors. But above all I want my family back. I want our family of four plus a dog and a cat (yes, I realize there are chickens, but they just don't feel like an integral part of our family---heck, we don't even eat that many eggs) back. That's all. Actually, no, that's not all. I want my family back and I want us to be in control. Have an opinion about how we are doing things? Keep it to yourself!!!!!! Yes, Justin works a lot. Buck up 'lil trooper! Think his company is taking advantage of him? Maybe you don't truly know what is going on. Think you know what's best for Justin? Know what's best for us? WRONG!!!!!! Yes I'd like to have my family back and completely in tact. Yes I'd like Justin to have the girls and then have me completely fall off the face of the planet. But unfortunately none of that is happening right now. Deal. With. It. (and that goes for me too)

Shit. Now I'm crying again. Yes, I know other people have it worse. I may be a "single mom" but it's not permanent. We are still married. Yeah, my husband's job situation isn't ideal--but at least he has a job! I know I know. I can't/shouldn't complain. All I'm going to do is make people feel bad. Do you think having me tell this to Justin will make him feel better about what is going on? No!! He'll feel worse and then I'll feel like a complete and utter piece of crap for even having brought it up. I'm starting to feel the way I did pre-medication. But with more emotions. shit again.

Disclaimer: Yes, I know that people I know and love will be reading this. That was the big struggle I had in the beginning. "Do I allow people I know to read this blog or not? I mean, it's not exactly like a diary where I can write in it and lock it up so no one else can read it. Even someone I know could randomly stumble across this blog. Might as well just tell people it exists in the first place." Please, either read the title and stop there (but if you did, you wouldn't be here right now) or read it and take it with a grain of salt. This time tomorrow I could be totally fine. Who knows!

I thought I was finally happy. Like I finally mattered. Like people would actually care--and maybe even liked me. Now that I've gotten to that place I want out.

OK. Deep breath. Have you read this far? Congratulations. Or not. Either way, I have to say I'm feeling better. I guess that's part of what I thought of when I started this blog--it's a way for me to vent. Unfortuntately it's also a way for me to let friends and family know what's going on in our lives. So you read waaaay too much about me tonight. Deal with it. However you want to, just deal with it. Pretend you stumbled across the blog of some unknown person and that's what you are reading right now. Please.

Computer changes

I had a friend here this weekend helping me with the PTA website and he commented on how much he likes IE7. I knew I had upgraded to that, but with the way I sign in to the internet I use MSN Internet Explorer and not Microsoft Internet Explorer. Not that I actually knew there was a difference (and maybe there's not, I'm just clueless). So I'm trying this new Internet Explorer 7. Which means I have to add all my Favorites back (OK, there's probably some easier way to do it, but I don't know how). Since I was adding this one I figured it wouldn't hurt to update my blog.

I'm mad at Meg Cabot. I read Princess on the Brink this weekend (the latest in her Princess Diaries series----thanks for loaning it to me Cass). Mia turned into a character I don't like! I just wanted to slap her. And then she finally had a chance to redeem herself, but Meg just wouldn't let her. Oh no, mustn't make Joy happy!! And then Mia went back to being slappable. sheesh (Note to any high school English teachers who may be reading this blog---you caught me. I read Chick Lit and mindless fiction. Did you expect more of me? I thought not.)

I'm trying to stagger my book genres lately. I tend to get kind of heavy on the Chick Lit---and I get obsessed with series. If an author I'm starting to read has a series I just have to read them all! So of course I'm not too happy with the person (or persons) who have had numbers 3 and 9 in Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series out from the library for so long. They were due November 13, 2006. Come on!!

I need to see if my library has the newest Christopher Moore book You Suck: A Love Story. I just love his books. I am on a constant quest to find a copy of Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal at a thrift store. I found one on www.half.com but am still looking for the elusive cheap copy. Sorry Mr. Moore, but I rarely buy books new. My Momma taught me well.

I have a treadmill now. I told Justin I wanted one, but he figured I wouldn't use it. So we're borrowing a friend's to see if I follow through with my "oh yeah, I'm gonna exercise" thing. I tried walking on it while watching a DVD of Grey's Anatomy, but I had to turn the tv up really loud, and I didn't want to do that for too long since the girls had friends over and I needed to be able to hear them. Originally I figured I would borrow books on CD from the library and put them on my mp3 player. Then Justin said, "uh, the computer is just a few feet away, why don't you just listen to it through that" and I said, "oh. duh." But with the treadmill being a bit loudish it might work better to have something directly in my ears. If only I could find those headphones I dislike least of the ones I have.....

Emma and her friend Gracie will be auditioning for the school talent show tomorrow. They are going to do a baton routine. I am a horrible teacher. But they are doing pretty well despite that! I ordered another baton from ebay the other day. It won't be here in time for the try-outs, but it had better be here for the actual talent show. Emma will be using my old baton. Everybody say: awwwwwwww.

Guess that's about it. I should get moving so I can start my project for the day: putting the clothes that are too small for the girls in storage and getting out the stored clothes that (hopefully) will fit. Not a quick and easy process, but it needs to get done. And soon! I'm tired of seeing my kids' bellies poking out through too small clothes---y'know, the clothes that fit last week.

Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it. ~P.J. O'Rourke

Uh-oh, that does not bode well for me.....

Grrrrrr

OK, I just tried twice to publish pictures and text to this blog. And it won't work!! It says it's working but I can't find the draft. Oh well. Maybe I'll try another day. Maybe not.

I watched the movie Brokeback Mountain last night. I suppose it was good, but I couldn't understand a damn thing Heath Ledger said! Is my hearing really that bad?

Audrey lost her first tooth this morning! Fortunately I did not have to pull it. I was on the computer (trying to put pictures on my darn blog) when she yelled "Mommy my tooth fell out!" Of course we immediately called Daddy and then took a picture to send to the relatives. She's pretty excited. Emma had told her that if she lost a tooth during vacation she wouldn't get to put her name in The Tooth Book at school. I told her that I was sure Mrs. Moller would write her name on the tooth for whichever month she lost it. But even today she was hoping it would stay in and come out tomorrow while she's at school. Now that it's happened though, she's pretty excited!

Yesterday I exercised. I did a Walk Away the Pounds video. I listened to my own music so I could enjoy myself and not listen to the host prattle on. However, I need to find my other headphones because the ones I used really hurt the inside of my ears. I need to exercise again today. WATP again or Belly Dancing? Whatever I do, I do it upstairs so nobody can see me. Not that we get a lot of visitors, but those windows sure leave me feeling exposed. If I do belly dancing I don't have to put shoes on. That may be enough motivation for me. It amazed me yesterday how much my feet hurt yesterday just walking in place.

Time to get some things done.

I found some good exercise quotes at www.quotegarden.com and couldn't decide on just one.

My idea of exercise is a good brisk sit. ~Phyllis Diller

A bear, however hard he tries, grows tubby without exercise. ~A.A. Milne

I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon. ~Ellen DeGeneres

Rain rain go away

A little while ago I read through my last blog entry. Here's an update:

I took a big black trash bag filled with clothes to Goodwill.
The Christmas decorations are down.
"New Year" cards have been printed, stuffed, signed, and (mostly) addressed. Mailing will have to wait since there is no mail service today (and I don't have them all stamped and return address labeled or even sealed).
I've entered my current info into my Weight Watchers account and am even considering some form of exercise today. And my one meal today has been healthy!

Not bad, not bad!

We spent a very nice weekend at Salmon Run Beach Getaway on Whidbey Island. It's in Coupeville right by the Keystone Ferry that goes across to Port Townsend. It's a nice house (although we tend to call it a cabin to make it sound more vacation-y) right on the water. Full kitchen, bathroom, master bedroom and loft with beds for the girls, TV with VCR and DVD player and tons of movies, lots of games and books. And even some toys for the kids to play with! It's surprising how two girls who tend to be at each other's throats and can't agree on anything to play will have a wonderful time at this cabin/house! There's a doctor's kit and they played lots of doctor, some fake food and we wound up eating many a fake meal. Lots of hide and seek and just general fun times. And no projects for Justin to get sucked into!! He was able to just hang out and play. Yay! Although none of this necessarily took work stress out of his head, but really, what would?

Justin's mom, sister, and her daughters came over on Saturday. It's generally a three hour trip from Barbara's house to ours, but since we were right near the ferry landing it only took them 1 1/2 hours. This is the last time we'll see Paula, Tia, and Sara for a long long time. Their family is moving in Indonesia in just a few weeks. It was great to have one last visit with them. The four girls have fun playing together.

Audrey got wet. We were outside on Saturday and Audrey decided to start wading into the water. First with her boots on. Then barefoot with her pants pulled up. Then a bit higher and who cares about the pants. Then the ice cold (ocean/Puget Sound) water touched her belly. Whoa! What a look. Of course a picture was needed so we sent her out one last time. Then we rushed her into the house and into a warm shower. Silly girl. But happy!

Holy cow it is raining. Absolutely pouring. Hmmmmm....I'm pretty sure Lucy is in. I'd hate to have to dry her off after being out in this. The downside to a long haired dog in a muddy area. I just looked out the window. You should see all these puddles! Grrrr.....recycling and garbage went out today. I'm not looking forward to bringing the bins and can in later. Ahhh....the roar is gone. Still raining a lot, but not quite dumping right now.

More work to do: laundry to fold, PTA stuff to type, cards to finish addressing, light bulb to change, puzzle to work on, book to read, movies to watch. OK, so some of those things aren't "work". Guess it's more just a "to do" list.

The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. --Henry Wadsworth Longfellow